Hosts
Maze Masters Throughout its history, The Crystal Maze has been presented by a series of hosts. Each takes on the role of the Maze's custodian, responsible for guiding each team around the various zones, keeping them updated on their progress, leading each nominated team member to the respective games, acting as the timekeeper on all games and the final challenge at the Dome, and taking safe custody of each crystal won by the team. During each game, while the team is focused on watching and helping their nominated member tackle it, the host will sometimes conduct a short monologue to camera, sometimes being more disparaging about a contestant's attempt at a game in 'private', and occasionally interacting with props left around the maze, talking about them and even giving fictional 'side stories' about them, the zones and the 'other inhabitants' of the Maze. In addition to the host, the show employed a series of performers who took on the role of other characters, some supporting, while others were merely a part of a game's puzzle. Richard O'Brien Richard was the first Maze Master from series one to four. During his tenure, he often wore a long fur coat, paired with a brightly coloured shirt, skinny-fit trousers and long, sleek leather boots. He was always broadly welcoming and encouraging to teams, being congratulatory on their successes, but on occasion would show visible frustration with a contestant for a particularly sub-standard attempt at a game, and, at the start of the second series, would encourage them to use their allotted time effectively. Once or twice in an episode, O'Brien would produce a harmonica from his pocket during a game, and played one short and repetitive tune which he called "excitement music". On a number of occasions, he would 'find' other musical instruments in the maze, which were used to showcase his talents, even occasionally breaking into song. O'Brien departed the series at the start of the 1993 Christmas Special where he and Mumsey left for a new life in America. In the single-run Merchant episode, O'Brien reprised his role as part of the computer system to access the Aztec zone. Ed Tudor-Pole Ed was the second Maze Master from series five to six. During his tenure, he wore an elaborate waistcoat and tunic, off-white sleeves and trousers, and long black boots, in a similar style to his predecessor, with his look having been described as "Georgian". While his style of hosting had the similar energetic style to O'Brien's, it was less detached, with Tudor-Pole being more sympathetic towards contestants, and often talking up the 'time travel' elements of the show, with the inclusion of nonsense words, such as "trignification" to describe the "process" of travelling between time zones, while often referring to unseen companions in the maze, such as his horse "Bert" in Medieval Zone, and "Starbuck" the cat, who lives in Ocean Zone. Unlike O'Brien, Tudor-Pole did not reprise his role during the Merchant episode however a portrait was shown hung up in the Industrial Zone. Stephen Merchant Stephen was the third Maze Master for the Stand Up to Cancer special. During his single episode, Merchant dressed in a blue suit jacket, red waistcoat and white shirt with a multi-coloured neckerchief, wearing thick black glasses and opting to shave his head as a nod to Richard O'Brien. He would treat contestants with a cheerful demeanour, though at times would misdirect conversation to humorous effect, make jokes about the contestants personal lives (due to their celebrity status) and attempt to not ruin the nostalgia of the show. Merchant was offered a permanent role when Channel 4 recommissioned a new series but would later turn it down. Richard Ayoade Richard is the current Maze Master from the 2016 revival. In each episode, he is dressed in a smart, colourful suit, wearing his trademark glasses and carrying "The Hand" - a wooden effigy of a hand on the end of an umbrella cane which changes colour based on what teams are navigating the Maze (maroon for regular adventurers, gold for celebrity adventurers). During his tenure, Ayoade would coin acronyms such as ALIS (Automatic Lock-In Situation) question the production value of the Zones, acknowledging contestants may change in appearance due to editing and that the Crystal Maze is a television show. Whenever Ayoade leads a contestant to a game, he instructs them to hold "The Hand" opting to keep contestants at a distance and frequently provide references to other shows such as Stars in their Eyes and Tipping Point.